Coupling for shafting.



W. 0. KENNINGTON COUPLING FOB SHAFTING.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 10, 1911.

AlfomeyS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM O. KENNINGTON, 0F BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SIMMS'MAGNETO 00., INQ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0E NEW YORK.

COUPLING FOR SHAF'IING.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM O. IEN4 NINGTON, a citizen of London,England, residing at Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplingsfor Shafting; and I do hereby de clare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter describedreference being had to the accompanying drawing, which shows one form orembodiment of the invention which I have selected for purposes ofillustration and the said invention is fully disclosed in the followingdescription and claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a coupling for shafts whichwill insure the proper connection between them even though they shouldnot be in absolutely axial alinement, the construction being such thatparts capable of a slight yielding movement are inserted between thedriving mem bers so that a slight yield of the engaged parts ispermitted when the coupling is rotated in one direction, and which whenthe coupling is rotated in the opposite direction and in fact at alltimes when the device is in operation, holds the parts against back-lashand renders the opera tion of the device noiseless. This coupling isespecially desirable for connecting the magneto furnishing current tothe spark plugs of an internal combustion engine, with the driving shafton the engine designed for operating the magneto, as for example inautomobiles, where it is diflicult to secure or maintain an absoluteaxial alinement of the driving shaft with the armature shaft of themagneto. I do not, however, limit myself to this use of the improvedcoupling, as the same may be used for other purposes.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation of an embodiment ofmy invention as applied to the connection between a. driving shaft and amagneto,'the magneto be ing indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 representsthe three parts ofthecoupling sep: arated, the central part or couplingring being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a face view of one of thecoupling disks. Fig. at

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed October 10, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912. Serial No.'653;973.

is a side elevation of the coupling ring, the posltlons of the couplinglugs 01 arojections of the adjacent coupling disk being indicated insection. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the parts of the intermediatecoupling ring separated from each other.

In the drawings A represents, in the embodiment of the invention which Ihave selected for purposes of illustration, a driving shaft which is tobe connected to the shaft B of a magneto electric machine, by myimproved coupling. The coupling comprises three parts ordinarily, towit, two coupling disks 1 and 2, each of which is preferably providedwith suitable means for connecting it to one ofsaid shafts. In thepresent instance, each disk is shown as provided with a central threadedaperture 1 which is screwed on the shaft. 'The disks may, however, beconnected to the shaft by keys or .inany other desired way. Each disk isprovided with one or more, and preferably two, coupling lugs orprojections 3, 3 which are disposed radially on the inner face of thedisk and each of said lugsor projections is provided near its inner endwith a heel piece 4 extending still farther from the face of the disk.Between these opposed disks is located the third member of the coupling,which I term the intermediate coupling ring. This ring, as best seen inFig. 5, is provided on each face with an annular recess 7 surroundingits central aperture 6 and each face of-the ring is also provided withone. or more, and preferably two, radial notches 8. On" each side of thering 5 is located a circular plate lying in the annular recess 7, saidplatesb eing indicated at 9 and 10. Each of these plates is providedwith peripheral notches 11, 11 adapted to be brought into registrationwith the notches .8 in the adjacent face of the ring 5 and each of saidplates is connected with a spring which normally tends to hold the platein such a position that the notches 11 thereof are not in registrationwith thecorresponding notches of the ring. I prefer to employ a singlespring 15 ofspiral form having its ends 16 engaging apertures 17 intheplates 9 and 10 and forthe purpose of assembling the parts of theintermediate coupling ring I have shown a hollow rivet 13 whichpassesthrough the plates 9 and 1 0 to hold them in engagement with thering. I may, however, securethem in positionin the ring in other Ways.For convenience in assembling the various parts. of the coupling, Iprefer to provide means for limiting the relative rotation of the plates9 and 10 and to this end I have shown a pin 18 secured to one of saidplates, in this instance the plate 9, and engaging a segmental slot 19in the other of said plates to wit, the plate 10.

It is to be understood that the heel portions or extensions 4: of thecoupling projection 3 on the disks 1 and 2, are so located that they maybe made to engage with the notches 11, 11 of the plates 9 and 10, sothat said heel portions may be placed in engagement with the notches 11,11 and by rotating the shafts very slightly with respect to each other,the plates 9 and 10 can be slightly rotated relatively so as to bringthe notches 11, 11 in alinement with the notches 8, S of theintermediate coupling ring, when the disks 1 and 2 can be pressedtogether upon the coupling ring 5 causing the remaining portions of thelugs 3, 3 to seat themselves in the notches 8 as indicated in Fig. 1 andalso in Fig. 4. The notches S are made wider than the lugs 3 so as toallow for slight variations in the alinement of the shafts to beconnected without causing the lugs to bind in said notches. The partsbeing thus engaged, if the driving shaft A, for example, is caused torotate in the direction of the arrow 00, in Fig. 4: it will be seen thatthe pressure of the driving lugs 3, 3 will be first exerted upon theplate 10 through the notches 11, 11 thereof, thus tending to compressthe spring 15 and providing for a slight yield of the parts in case theresistance to the rotation of the driving shaft is greater than thetension of the spring 15, as for example, in starting and before thedriven part has acquired momentum. The action of this spring provides aneasy starting movement and in case of light driving devices, it willfrequently happen that the entire drive will be against the resistanceof the spring, the parts remaining in the position shown in Fig- 4,except perhaps in starting, or in case an additional load is placed onthe driven part.

If the shaft A is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow y inFig. 4, it will be seen that the lugs 3, 3 will directly engage thewalls of the notches 8 and positively drive the intermediate couplingring 5, which in turn communicates its motion to the other disk andshaft B. In this case r the spring actuated plates 9 and 10 simply actby the engagement of their notched portions with the lugs 3, 3 of thedisks, and by virtue of the spring 15, to revent backlash and thus makethe operatlon of the device noiseless. It should be stated that thenotches 8 on the opposite faces of the ring 5 are arranged in lines atright angles to each other in a well known way, so that the intermediatecoupling ring is prevented from accidental disengagement from the disks1 and 2.

I have found this coupling very advantageous in connecting magnetos witha driving shaft from the engine, the ignition devices of which areoperatively connected with the magneto, especially in automobiles andother vehicles where it is diflicult to obtain an exact alinement of thedriving shaft with the shaft of the armature of the magneto. Thiscoupling will provide an eflicient driving connection between the twoparts under all conditions and even if the position of the magneto is orbecomes such as to place its armature shaft at a slight angle to thedriving shaft. The coupling operates without noise under all conditionsand when used under the conditions hercinbefore described with referenceto the direction of rotation indicated by the arrow 0: in Fig. 4-, itprovides a slight yield between the driving and driven parts to take upsudden shocks and insure easy starting.

hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a shaftcoupling, the combination with a coupling disk, provided with a couplingprojection extending from one of its faces, of a coupling ring, providedwith a recess in one of its faces to loosely receive said projection, acircular part carried by said ring and provided with a recess adapted tobe brought int-o registration with the said recess in the ring, saidcircular part being movable in respect to the ring in a 1'0- tarydirection, a spring connected with said circular part and normallyholding its recess out of registration with the recess in the ring, andmeans for connecting said ring with the other of the shafts to becoupled.

2. In a shaft coupling, the combination with the coupling disks eachprovided with means for attaching it to one of the shafts to beconnected, and having on one face a plurality of coupling projections,of an i11- termediate coupling ring, provided on each of its lateralfaces with notches to receive said coupling projections of the adjacentdisks, and a circular plate on each of the lateral faces of said ringmovable with respect to the ring in a rotary direction and provided withperipheral notches adapted to register with the adjacent notches in thering, and a spring connected to each of said plates and normally holdingthe notches thereof out of registration with the notches of the ring.

3. In a shaft coupling, the combination with the coupling disks eachprovided with means for attaching it to one of the shafts to beconnected, and having on one face a plurality of coupling projections,of an intermediate coupling ring, provided on each of its lateral faceswith notches to receive said coupling projections of the adjacent disk,and a circular plate on each of the lateral faces of said ring movablewith respect to the ring in a rotary direction and provided withperipheral notches adapted to register with the adjacent notches in thering, a spring connected to each of said plates, and means for limitingthe relative rotation of said plates.

4. In a shaft coupling, the combination with the coupling disks, eachprovided with means for attaching it to one of the slrafts to beconnected, and having on one face a plurality of coupling projections,of an intermediate coupling ring provided on each of its lateral faceswith notches to receive said coupling projections of the adjacent disk,and a circular plate on each of the lateral faces of said ring movablewith respect to the ring in a rotary direction and provided withperipheral notches adapted to register with the adjacent notches in thering, a spring connected to each of said plates and a stud connected toone of said plates and engaging a slot in the other of said plates.

5. In a shaft coupling, the combination with the coupling disks, eachprovided with radially disposed coupling projections, each of saidprojections having a heel portion projecting farther from the face ofthe disk thereof out of registration with the notches of the ring.

6. In a shaft coupling, the combination with the coupling disks eachprovided with radially disposed coupling projections, each of saidprojections having a heel portion projecting farther from the face ofthe disk than the other portions, of an intermediate coupling ringprovided on its opposite faces with radial notches to loosely engagesaid projections, circular plates located on opposite faces of said ringand provided with peripheral notches to engage the heel portions of saidprojections, a spiral spring having its opposite ends connected withsaid plates, means for securing said plates permanently to the ring, anda stud connected with one of said plates and engaging a curved slot inthe other of said plates.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM O. KENNINGTON.

Witnesses:

Roenn H. BUTTERWORTH, JULIUs EHMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

